If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it. ~ John D. Rockefeller

The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. ~ Jim Rohn

All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose. ~ Brian Tracy

If you want to reach a goal, you must ‘see the reaching’ in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal. ~ Zig Ziglar

Dreaming about goals is inspiring, but a great goal need a great plan!

Before you get distracted, take time to document your top 3 goals using the SMART method. The method of SMART goals (an acronym for the 5 steps of specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based goals) is one of the most effective tools used by high achievers to reach their goals — realistically and consistently. Whether you’re at the helm of a 300-person organization, a small business entrepreneur, or somebody who simply wants to shed 20 pounds, learning how to set SMART goals can make the difference between failure and achievement.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/goals-quotes/feed/0Spring Forward and Take Action!http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/spring-forward/
http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/spring-forward/#commentsThu, 14 Mar 2013 18:45:11 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5205It’s almost spring, and even if there is still snow on the ground, it’s time to think about new beginnings – for you and your business. Do you need a fresh start? If so, it’s time to create (or update) your specific goals for today, this week, this month, and this year. To start, write [...]

]]>It’s almost spring, and even if there is still snow on the ground, it’s time to think about new beginnings – for you and your business. Do you need a fresh start?

If so, it’s time to create (or update) your specific goals for today, this week, this month, and this year. To start, write down exactly what you want to accomplish. Then, figure out what you need to do to meet your goals in a specific timeframe. And once you have your goals written down…
• Take Action!

It’s time to take action! This can be the hardest part of accomplishing anything. But if you don’t do something, nothing will happen. It’s like Wayne Gretzky says, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Start small. Read a book. Conduct online research. Call current customers and ask for a referral. Just do something. You’ll either take a step forward towards making your goals a reality, or you’ll learn something about yourself and your business.

• Review.

Did you accomplish the goals you set last year? If not, why not? Write down what you will do differently this time to make positive things happen. You can learn from your failures, but only if you make the effort to do so.

It’s time for new beginnings and a fresh start. What are you going to do today to start making your dreams a reality this year?

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/spring-forward/feed/844Where’s the Accountability?http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/plan-your-business/wheres-the-accountability/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/plan-your-business/wheres-the-accountability/#commentsFri, 06 Jan 2012 15:00:15 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=5048Happy 2012 StartUpNation! As I wrap up Week #1 of this fabulous brand new year, I thought I would check in with all of you…. Have you set your Main Goal(s) for 2012? More important, How do you plan to hold yourself accountable to your Goal(s)? That is the kicker with goals. You can make [...]

As I wrap up Week #1 of this fabulous brand new year, I thought I would check in with all of you….

Have you set your Main Goal(s) for 2012?

More important, How do you plan to hold yourself accountable to your Goal(s)?

That is the kicker with goals. You can make as many goals as you want, but Accountability is what makes goals actually count. A Goal is only as good as the plan for holding yourself accountable to it.

I have found a number of ways to infuse accountability into your plans and goals:

Incorporate a Mastermind Group. A Mastermind Group is a small group of other professionals that meets together (in person or virtually) and helps promote one another’s success. If you are not in one, think about forming one! Look at it as a circle of Business Best Friends.

Hang a Written Mantra or Vision Board. A mantra is your very own words or goals that you want to keep repeating to yourself. If you are more visual, create a picture, drawing, or roadmap to hold you to your goals. Tape this vision high above your workspace to keep you motivated.

Set Alarms in your calendar. Program your computer or phone to ding on particular days, times, etc when you WANT to remind yourself of checking your progress on goals. This is useful when you get stuck daydreaming about the possibilities because it makes you get back to reality.

Engage a Business or Life Coach. If you find yourself really struggling with holding yourself accountable, hire someone to help you. This will cost you some money, but if you match up with the right coach, he/she will certainly help you monitor progress.

……Still looking for some accountability inspiration?

Check out what some other amazing Entrepreneurs are doing in 2012!

Nicole Fende is a credentialed actuary with experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Investment Banker, and successful entrepreneur. Nicole (a.k.a. The Numbers Whisperer™) helps her clients learn how to effectively and enjoyably run the financial side of their business.

Main goal: Killer launch and sales of my first book, How to be a Finance Rock Star.

David Shirey has been training, inspiring, and leading sales teams and workforces to incredible new heights for two decades, and now is the author of the new book, Rare Confidence.

Main goal: Spread the message to as many people as possible that the secret to attacking your dreams is CONFIDENCE!

Plan for Accountability: Doing the right thing is not a some of the time thing; it’s an all the time thing!

Heather Allard is a mother of three kids and the founder of The Mogul Mom, a free daily email for moms who run a business, raise a family and rock both.

Main goal: To grow The Mogul Mom’s free daily email for mom entrepreneurs to 25,000 subscribers.

Plan for Accountability: Through a small group of peers who know my goals and hold me to ‘em. I hold myself accountable by sharing my goals and actions taken with a couple of mentors who’ve accomplished what I’m trying to accomplish.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/plan-your-business/wheres-the-accountability/feed/10Pick Yourself Up and Get Back to Work!http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/pick-yourself-up-and-get-back-to-work/
http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/pick-yourself-up-and-get-back-to-work/#commentsThu, 03 Mar 2011 21:47:55 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/business-blogs/?p=4866Yes, the economy is ugly. Yes, customers are tightening their purse strings. Yes, it’s harder to bring in new sales. Blah. Blah. Blah. Things are tough for many people right now, but that’s no reason to just sit back and wait for things to get better. It’s time to take action! No one [...]

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/grow-your-business/run-your-business-better/pick-yourself-up-and-get-back-to-work/feed/1Need Help with your Entrepreneurial Dreams? Hear What Stephen Dodd Has to Say.http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/need-help-with-your-entrepreneurial-dreams-hear-what-stephen-dodd-has-to-say/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/need-help-with-your-entrepreneurial-dreams-hear-what-stephen-dodd-has-to-say/#commentsFri, 07 May 2010 11:31:00 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/?p=4728As an entrepreneur, do you have big dreams, but aren’t quite sure how to accomplish them? Well, here’s a fellow entrepreneur who is helping people just like you make their dreams a reality. Meet Stephen Dodd, Quantum Voyage, Inc. Lead Programmer and Project Manager for the new, personal goal-setting software at www.goalsettingforyou.com. Tell us about [...]

]]>As an entrepreneur, do you have big dreams, but aren’t quite sure how to accomplish them? Well, here’s a fellow entrepreneur who is helping people just like you make their dreams a reality. Meet Stephen Dodd, Quantum Voyage, Inc. Lead Programmer and Project Manager for the new, personal goal-setting software at www.goalsettingforyou.com.

Tell us about your new business and why you started it.

Quantum Voyage, Inc. was started to develop and distribute a suite of Web-based, goal setting software applications. There is a lot of misinformation out there about what a goal is and how to set one. We remedied that by taking a proven, nine-step goal setting process and built that into Web applications that can be used by enterprises, coaches and individuals to improve performance.

Why is it different than other, goal services out there?

The way we differentiate ourselves from the competition depends on the application.Our enterprise version competes with several, other Software as a Service (SaaS) applications in the performance management area where the focus is on the performance-review-process, and a goal is simply a target that someone has determined.

We have a very good, objective performance-appraisal-process as well, but our users can collaborate to create their own goals that are aligned with corporate strategy and automatically feed into the performance appraisal system.

For the coaching and personal versions, there is no other application out there that actually instructs the user on how to create a goal to get the results that they want and not just settle for results that they expect. Goal setting is so much more than picking a number and trying to reach it. Overcoming that paradigm is our greatest strength.

What marketing and promotion activities have worked best for you and why?

We are still trying to figure out what marketing activities will work best. We currently have two Web sites which are search engine optimized and utilize Google AdWords to draw traffic. In addition, we have done press releases and e-mail blasts to targeted audiences.Our channel partners do a certain amount of advertising, and we rely on their network for new business.

What has been the biggest challenge in starting the business and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge for us in developing the GoalTrak applications was maintaining usability while not compromising our proven, nine-step goal setting process.We would re-write sections over and over until we thought it was just right. Then, our testers would get a hold of it and we would realize that it would have to be redone again! Even today, with very stable products, we are continuously making improvements based on customer feedback.

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs starting a new business?

Make sure you include marketing in your business plan.We made a strategic decision to sell our Enterprise version through consultants. It appears that was the right decision; however, finding the right consultants is much tougher than we anticipated. We initially felt that if we build it, they will come. That may work for some products, but it hasn’t really worked for us. GoalTrak still needs constant exposure.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes, if you are a CEO and would like to raise the level of performance in your organization, or you are a business or life coach who would like to give their clients a top-notch goal setting tool, or you are just an individual who is tired of settling for what you get, please visit www.goaltrak.com to learn how goal setting can get the results you have been looking for.

Thanks for the information Stephen, and all the best with your business. Do you have PR and marketing goals you’re trying to reach? Please contact me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com for help and additional information.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/need-help-with-your-entrepreneurial-dreams-hear-what-stephen-dodd-has-to-say/feed/2Life Planning – Inspiration to Start Uphttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/life-planning-inspiration-to-start-up/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/life-planning-inspiration-to-start-up/#commentsWed, 05 May 2010 21:54:36 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/?p=4729Do you remember when you were young and someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? You always had an answer. Doctor, lawyer, architect, pilot, famous actor, the list goes on… While such dreams may change over time, what’s important is that you have a plan. Success in any activity requires [...]

]]>Do you remember when you were young and someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? You always had an answer. Doctor, lawyer, architect, pilot, famous actor, the list goes on… While such dreams may change over time, what’s important is that you have a plan. Success in any activity requires planning and life is no exception. That’s why life planning is key to success. If you intend to succeed in life and realize your dreams, you’ll have take time out, sit down and come up with a plan. Life planning is viewed by many as a daunting task while others simply don’t know where to begin. A good start would be to determine what you want out of life. Do you want a family? Where do you want to live? Do you want to start your own business? How much money do you want to make? Having the answers and keeping them in mind gives you something to look forward to. So take a look at yourself right now. Are you happy and doing what you want to be doing? For a lot of people the answer is not exactly or a flat out no. However, there are others who are doing exactly what they want to. They have what they want and they are living their lives exactly how they planned it.

You may kick off your life planning process by drawing inspiration from such people. Try to question successful individuals about the key to their accomplishments and they are likely to tell you the same thing: “knowing precisely what I wanted and going for it!” At the back of your mind you may be thinking it’s easier said than done. Correct. But that’s the basic principle of life planning and you can’t do away with it. You can’t go about life passively and simply take it as it comes. Don’t get carried along by life, making choices on a daily basis without knowing the impact such choices will have on your overall life satisfaction.

Another way to go about life planning is to conduct a research about the people you look up to, the personalities you want to emulate and the success stories of people who are truly happy and contented with their lives. A great place to start is online as there’s plenty of information available on the Internet, but be careful as there are also scams and lies disguised as information on the web. You’ll certainly come across concepts that you can apply to your own life planning venture. You can then sit down and write down your goals as well as an outline of how you plan to get there. Having a plan will definitely help you overcome the barriers that can keep you from living the life you want.

Stephen R. Covey aptly puts it, “begin with the end in mind.” Life planning is basically the same, commence by looking into the future and come up with a goal. The beauty of life planning is that it allows you to bring the future into the present so you can do something about it now. You can do your life planning backwards and make those elusive dreams come true!

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/life-planning-inspiration-to-start-up/feed/1Tips for a GREAT Holiday Breakhttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/tips-for-a-great-holiday-break/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/tips-for-a-great-holiday-break/#commentsTue, 22 Dec 2009 10:04:11 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/?p=4651Congratulations! You’ve made it through the unique challenges 2009 had to offer small business owners, and now it’s time to celebrate. With this in mind, here are a few tips to have a G-R-E-A-T holiday: G: Give Back To The Community. Volunteer to help a local charity. Donate your used clothing and other items to [...]

]]>Congratulations! You’ve made it through the unique challenges 2009 had to offer small business owners, and now it’s time to celebrate.

With this in mind, here are a few tips to have a G-R-E-A-T holiday:

G: Give Back To The Community.

Volunteer to help a local charity. Donate your used clothing and other items to a worthy cause, or write a check of any size to your favorite non-profit organization. You’ll be able to help others and get a small tax deduction at the same time.

R: Relax.

Stop thinking about your business for a little while and do something just for you. Read your favorite book, cozy up to the fire with a loved one, rent a movie you haven’t had time to see, get a massage, or take a walk.

The possibilities are endless for recharging your batteries for the year ahead!

E: Eat, Drink And Be Merry!

It’s time to have some fun!

Party with friends and family members. Take a break from your diet and indulge in your favorite holiday food. Let go of the stresses of being an entrepreneur and count your blessings.

A: Add Some Excitement To Your Life!

Learn a new skill. Get inspired! Join a class, book club or group that focuses on a new hobby. Try something new. You’ll get your creative juices flowing and meet new people.

Who knows? Your new activities may help you break out of a rut and pursue completely different business opportunities in the year ahead.

T: Take Time to Set Goals.

Now is the perfect time to create your success plan for 2010. What do you want to accomplish, and where do you want to be next year at this time? Write it down.

After all, if you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there?
�
These are just a few quick tips to help you have a great holiday break. And at this time, I’d like to thank you for reading my blog entries this year and providing your insights, comments and questions. I look forward to sharing more with you in the brand new year ahead!

Do you need help with your SEO marketing and public relations activities for 2010? Please write to me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/launch-a-home-business/tips-for-a-great-holiday-break/feed/1057Got Goals? Tips from Richard Lewine of GoalTrakhttp://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/plan-your-business/got-goals-tips-from-richard-lewine-of-goaltrak/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/plan-your-business/got-goals-tips-from-richard-lewine-of-goaltrak/#commentsThu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:28 +0000http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/?p=4621After working over 30 years in organization development consulting, Richard Lewine created a company called Quantum Voyage, http://www.goaltrak.com/, to help businesses and organizations reach their goals. Since many of you are in the process of setting your goals for 2010, I caught up with Rich to get his insights. Here’s what he had to say: [...]

]]>After working over 30 years in organization development consulting, Richard Lewine created a company called Quantum Voyage, http://www.goaltrak.com/, to help businesses and organizations reach their goals. Since many of you are in the process of setting your goals for 2010, I caught up with Rich to get his insights. Here’s what he had to say:

What is GoalTrak™ and why do you offer it?

GoalTrak is a family of applications, and GoalTrakEV is our flagship offering, an enterprise-wide, SaaS strategic goals and performance management system. It is the quintessential tool to keep everyone on track toward the achievement of organizational goals.

The integrated performance appraisal module is driven by the goals in the system. It automatically updates as each user updates their actual performance against commitments. The organization’s Mission, Vision and Strategy reside in the system so that everyone knows where the organization is going.

We also have GoalTrakCV. This is our Web-based, coaching/mentoring version, designed for those who are coaching others toward the achievement of their personal and professional goals.

Each user’s goals are private and can only be viewed by the user and his or her mentor. And GoalTrakPV is the original GoalTrak application. It comes on CD or can be downloaded from the web and resides on the user’s PC for their private use.

Why is it important for business owners to set goals, especially in today’s economic turmoil?

Without a system of goals, our only motivation is survival. When a system of organizational goals exists, each person understands their part in moving forward. Individual contributors can set their goals in alignment with top-level goals.

Communicating the company direction to employees involves them in the process of running the business. In our experience, the more information employees have about how their efforts help the organization, the more committed they become.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who want to reach specific, business goals?

Create a vision that is a clear picture of where you want to be at some point in the future.Share this vision with everyone in the organization. Then, ask them how to get here! You will get some incredibly helpful responses. Listen to them and involve your people in the decision-making process.

What has been your biggest success for the business and why?

Having one of our early adopters tell us that after 18 months, his company had a 47% ROI in hard dollars of investment in GoalTrakEV. He says that, “you couldn’t pry this away from me with a team of elephants!”

As a business owner, what was a challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it?

Our major challenge was figuring out how to migrate our highly successful manual systems to the computer and then to the Web. We enlisted the help of clients and colleagues in the design of GoalTrak so that the users got the most satisfying experience and the organization got the most useful information.

Thanks for your insights Rich… so for those of you thinking about what you want to do with your business in 2010, create a vision of what you want to accomplish, figure out what you need to do to get there, ask for help, and take action!

As Rich says, “Without a system of goals, our only motivation is survival.”

Do you have a small business dream but have questions about your marketing, SEO copywriting and public relations? Please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/plan-your-business/got-goals-tips-from-richard-lewine-of-goaltrak/feed/3New Year’s Restitutions????http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/new-years-restitutions/
http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/new-years-restitutions/#commentsFri, 28 Dec 2007 21:17:12 +0000http://staging.startupnation.com/wordpress/index.php/2007/12/28/new-years-restitutions/While most of you are thinking about your goals for the upcoming year, I am going through emails and semi-anonymous notes from friends and family members that offer suggestions of what I should do in 2008. Here, apparently, is my list of restitutions for 2008: Do not refer to hours or aimless web surfing as [...]

]]>While most of you are thinking about your goals for the upcoming year, I am going through emails and semi-anonymous notes from friends and family members that offer suggestions of what I should do in 2008.

Here, apparently, is my list of restitutions for 2008:

Do not refer to hours or aimless web surfing as “entrepreneurial and small business research.”(Thanks kids!)&nbsp;&nbsp;

I’d appreciate you not telling the mailman to “wear a girdle” when he complains about the weight of packages delivered to the house.(This is a toss up. Could be my husband, or the mailman. Maybe both. Men are such schemers.)&nbsp;

Do not continually use your blog as a forum to make fun of men.(My bet is on the Sloan brothers for this one.)

Quit calling former boss’s work number and laughing hysterically on voice mail.(Well, everyone else thinks the boss is a joke.)

The iMac is not a Barbie computer!(Eww. Must’ve touched a nerve with Satan, my web developer.)

You can not trademark the term, “jerkwad”; nor can you patent a boot as a, “jerk removal method and system.”(Hmmm… Maybe the folks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization???)

It seems like I have my hands full in 2008!

Have a great new year!

&nbsp;

Stella out

&nbsp;___

Startup Stella contributes to this blog from her two-dimensional world, which you can learn more about by visiting this&nbsp;cartoon strip StartupNation created to share Stella’s quirky but classic entrepreneurial epiphanies with you.

]]>http://www.startupnation.com/start-your-business/get-inspired/new-years-restitutions/feed/533Help your business startup today: Set goalshttp://www.startupnation.com/manage-your-business/help-your-business-startup-today-set-goals/
http://www.startupnation.com/manage-your-business/help-your-business-startup-today-set-goals/#commentsFri, 21 Apr 2006 15:29:12 +0000http://staging.startupnation.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/04/21/help-your-business-startup-today-set-goals/It’s good to have daily goals. They add up to support your weekly, monthly, annual & life goals. One of my goals today … Goal setting!! I received an e-Newsletter this morning from my friend Kevin Binion and the lead article was titled “Learning How To Win”. He described an Xbox gaming experience he had [...]

]]>It’s good to have daily goals. They add up to support your weekly, monthly, annual & life goals. One of my goals today … Goal setting!!

I received an e-Newsletter this morning from my friend Kevin Binion and the lead article was titled “Learning How To Win”. He described an Xbox gaming experience he had with his son and nephew where the youngsters were dancing with jubilation when they scored a touchdown against Kevin in the last 2 minutes of the game. The final score was Kevin 57 the kids 7 but the fact that the boys had made progress was cause for severe celebration!

Starting a business is a lot like that. You need those celebrations of early small scores to keep you going in the face of the adversity you’ll face as you grow toward profitability. We have to set milestones that will ultimately add up to victories.

And a milestone doesn’t always have to be a quantitative number. You’ll want to identify specific measurable goals that you can score yourself against, for sure, but sometimes something as simple as going after it every day over a period of time is just as valuable. Hey, it worked for Lou Gehrig and then Cal Ripken.

Of course Lou & Cal had other goals that they set & reached to get them to Cooperstown, baseball’s Hall of Fame, but it all started with a commitment at the most basic level – be prepared to play every single day.

So as I do the homework & research to identify and proclaim my StartupNation goals today, I’ll start with today’s goal ….